Feed composition



z,s1s,967

rnnn coosIrroN Robert W. Colby, Lake Jackson, Tex., and Robert J.Mesler, .lr., Midland, Mich., assignors to The Dow Chemical Company,Midland, Micln, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application March1, 1954 Serial No. 413,438

2 Claims. (Cl. 99-2) This invention is concerned with feed compositionsfor ruminants and is particularly directed to such compositions whichcomprise an additive as a source of usable nitrogen to supplement theprotein content of feeds from natural sources.

The continuing rapid growth of human population without concurrentdevelopment of new areas of arable land has imposed an increasing stresson agriculturists to produce more food products per acre of the land nowun der tillage. In meeting this problem with respect to the raising ofmeat animals such as sheep and beef cattle, there has been developed thefeed-lot method in which animals are not allowed to range over a Widearea of grazing land but rather are collected into limited areas forintensive feeding. In such operations, a major item of expense is theprovision of the protein foods required for the growth of the animals.In the past it has been the practice to employ protein-rich supplementssuch as cottonseed meal and soybean meal.

More recently, it has been found that a portion of the proteinrequirements of ruminants may be supplied in the form of urea. The ureanitrogen is converted by the microorganisms of the rumen into proteinutilizable by the ruminants. This conversion of urea-nitrogen to proteinhas made possible the formulation of feed compositions containing a highprotein-equivalent in the form of inexpensive and commercially availablesynthetic urea in place of a substantial proportion of the expensivenatural protein feedstuffs formerly employed.

The use of urea, however, has not provided an adequate solution to theabove-described problem. Urea is highly water-soluble with the resultthat the urea-nitrogen may pass rapidly through the digestive systembefore the rumen microorganisms are able to utilize it. Moreover,considerable quantities of ammonia may be formed from urea by hydrolysisand either be lost from the rumen or prove toxic to the consuminganimal. A further disad vantage with urea is that foods containing itappear to be relatively unpalatable, particularly to young sheep, withthe result that the animals sometimes do not eat as muchurea-supplemented food as would be desirable for maximum rate of growth.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a newnitrogen-containing additive to supplement the protein portion ofruminant feed. It is a further object to provide such protein supplementin relatively non-toxic form. Yet another object is to provide palatablefeed compositions for ruminants which embody a synthetic organicnitrogen compound as a protein supplement. Other objects will becomeapparent from the following specification and claims.

According to the present invention, it has been discovered thathexamethylene tetramine can be used as a source of nitrogen tosupplement the protein feed of ruminants. It is among the advantages ofthe invention that feed compositions containing hexamethylene tetramineare relatively stable and non-toxic and are readily consumed whenofiered to ruminants.

In the practice of the invention, the hexamethylene tetramine may beincorporated in the feed in any suitable fashion. In one method ofoperation, the hexamethylene tetramine in crystalline form may be mixedtogether with other feed constituents in a chopper, mechanical mixer orthe like. In another method of operation, a warm concentrated solutionof hexamethylene tetramine may be sprayed onto a prepared feed and thenpassed to a mechanical mixer and drier. Similarly, hexamethylenetetramine may be admixed in either crystalline or solution form withfeeds which are thereafter submitted to a pelleting process or the like.

The proportions of hexamethylene tetramine to be employed in feedcompositions may vary Widely depending upon whether the composition is aconcentrate designed for later admixture with other feed constituents orwhether a balanced complete ration is prepared. The amount ofsupplemental nitrogen required depends upon the nitrogen content of theunsupplemented ration of the animals and any desired amount ofhexamethylene tetramine may be employed up to an amount equivalent toall the supplemental nitrogen required beyond that furnished in thegrain and roughage being fed concurrently. In practice, it is generallydesirable to regulate the amount of hexamethylene tetramine in the feedso as to provide from about 5 to 50 percent and preferably from about 25to 50 percent of the total nitrogen intake of the ruminant in the formof hexamethylene tetramine.

In the preparation of feed concentrates for supplement ing thepredominantly carbohydrate materials such as hay, ground corn cobs andthe like, compositions containing from about 5 to percent by Weight ofhexamethylene tetramine are suitable. The remainder of the concentratemay consist of any one or more of various suitable feed supplements oredible additaments such as wheat bran, alfalfa meal, oil meal fromsoybeans, linseed, cottonseed, and coconut, salt, minerals, distillersand brewers by-products, vitamin supplements and the like.

The following examples illustrate the invention but are not to beconstrued as limiting the same.

Example 1 A finished feed mixture, suitable for dairy cattle andfeed-lots diets for ruminants, is prepared by grinding and mechanicallymixing the following:

Example 2 A feed supplement to be employed for increasing the nitrogenlevel of predominantly carbohydrate feedstuifs is prepared bymechanically mixing the following ingredients:

Ingredient: Parts by weight Wheat bran 200 Ground corn 1170 Soybean meal288 Hexamethlene tetramine 126 Molasses Minerals and salt 46 Example 3 Afeed concentrate composition is prepared by intimate mixing of thefollowing:

Ingredient: Parts by weight Hexamethylene tetram-ine 400 Dehydratedalfalfa meal 45 Iodized salt 20 Steamed bone meal 35 This concentrate issuitable for admixing. with roughage and carbohydrate feeds such as hay,ground corn, silage and the like to provide a supplemental ration.

Example 4 A feed composition is prepared by mixing together thefollowing ingredients:

The above composition is fed to four yearling sheep maintained inmetabolism cages so thatifood intake and excretions can be determined.Following a nine-day period of adiustment to the feed, the sheep show'anaverage intaice'of 54.77 grams of nitrogen per sheep over a five-clayperiod. The nitrogen excretion in this period averages 48.94 grams persheep, giving a positive nitrogen balance of 5.8 grams per sheep.

In an exactly similar determination employingLO part of urea instead ofthe 1.2 parts of hexamethylene-tetramine in the above diet, 4 yearlingsheep show an average positive nitrogen balance of 2.5 grams per sheepfor the five-day period.

Example 5 A supplemental feed for ruminants, high in available nitrogenand essential growth substances and minerals is prepared by mechanicallymixing the following ingredients:

1. A ruminant feed composition which comprises protein, carbohydrate andfrom about 5 to percent'by weight of the tot-a1 available nitrogen ofthe composition in the format hexameth-ylene tetramine.

2. A ruminant feedconcentrate adapted for mixing with carbohydrate'and-roughage feeds to prepare ruminant fee'ds-o'fenhanced availablenitrogen content which comprises ait-edible ruminant feed supplement andin admixture therewith from about 5 to percent by weight ofhexamethylen'e' tetram'ine' based'. on the totalweight of the finishedcomposition.

References flited in the" file of this patent "UNITEDSTATES PATENTS2,592,565 Harvey Apr. 15, 1952 2,630,386 Walker Mar. 3, 1953 2,687,354Gribbins Aug. 24, 1954

1. A RUMINANT FEED COMPOSITION WHICH COMPRISES PROTEIN, CARHOHYDRATE ANDFROM ABOUT 5 TO 50 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF THE TOTAL AVAILABLE NITROGEN OFTHE COMPOSITION IN THE FORM OF HEXAMETHYLENE TETRAMINE.